Locked in a rebellion between Fair Folk and humans for the past eighteen years, the Kingdom of Korith is unrecognizable. Where Fair Folk once roamed ancestral lands, worshiping the earth and selling fortunes to humans, they now abandon these traditions. Instead, they've seized control of human edifices, most prominently the human throne amidst the palace of Kasier, where the Prevailing Mother now reigns.
Lisi Ne'vander, a powerful halfling from the Forest of Bruss, has watched her parents fall victim to the violence consuming Korith. As she struggles to control the magic burning within her, she faces a critical decision: remain hidden within the vanishing boundaries of the neutral forest, or fight. But for whom? Memories of a foreign princess, with eyes as stormy as the sea, haunt Lisi, and she can't seem to forget the princess's words: hiding is for the weak.
Val'thorn Borynder is a magickless Fair Folkman, forced to farm to provide food for the Prevailing Mother's army. His lack of magic makes him an easy target for local bullies, but at least he still has his mushrooms. Gifted with an innate understanding of the forest's fruits, Val spends his free time searching for rare and useful mushrooms. But his cousin's death thrusts him directly into the heart of the rebellion, bringing him face-to-face with the notorious Viktor Black. Val, not the bravest of Folkman, considers fleeing until Viktor offers him a chance to join the rebellion-a chance to finally be useful. And Val can't remember ever feeling useful before.
The earth groans for balance, and balance it will have. The question is: will Lisi and Val help? Or will they be crushed in the process?